withal

"Withal" is an old-fashioned word most often used to mean "in addition" or "as well." It usually comes at the end of a sentence and adds one more quality or detail, as in "She was a fierce competitor and a graceful loser withal." In older writing, it can also mean something like "along with that" or "besides." It has a formal, literary feel and appears far more often in classic books than in everyday speech now.

Imagine a traveler describing a hard journey. He tells you about the muddy roads, the broken carriage wheel, and the cold rain, then adds, "It was a long trip, and an expensive one withal." In that moment, the word quietly means "in addition" or "as well." It slips in one last point, almost like a final turn of the wrist.

That is the main job of "withal" in English. It is usually an adverb, and in older writing it often appears after the word or phrase it adds to: someone may be brave and kind withal, or a task may be difficult and dull withal. In some older passages, it can also carry the sense of "along with that" or "besides that." The core idea is addition, not contrast.

Because of that, "withal" belongs mostly to literary and historical English now. You are far more likely to meet it in Shakespeare, the King James Bible, or a nineteenth-century novel than in ordinary conversation. Modern speakers would usually choose "as well," "too," or "besides" instead. Still, knowing "withal" helps you hear the tone of older prose: formal, balanced, and a little ceremonial.